The present invention relates generally to techniques for cognitive testing. More particularly, the present invention relates to remote computer implemented methods for cognitive testing and building a cognitive testing database to aid in assessing changes in a person's cognitive status.
Generally speaking, a cognitive skill may be defined as a decision that takes time to process. There are different components of cognitive skills including, for example, short term and long term memory, planning/prediction, switching, speed, and spatial orientation. Cognitive testing is well established and there exists an abundant number of cognitive tests that measure the different cognitive skills. Conventionally, the testing of cognitive skills consists of a battery of tests. For example, the IQ test is part of cognitive testing. Another example is the game Tetris, which may test the cognitive skills of mental rotation and speed.
For a potential monitoring program, for example, monitoring a person at risk for a disorder that affects cognition, such as depression, or monitoring a person using biochemical based therapy, where hundreds of different alternatives may be selected from, evaluation may be desirable. Subtle changes in a person's cognitive skills may predict an impending change in their disorder or undesirable side effects from their therapy, allowing timely intervention. In addition, it is often desirable to administer a particular therapy program that has the least undesirable side affects or to intervene with a therapy in case of the immanent occurrence of an acute crisis in a previously static situation. As different therapy programs may have different effects on specific cognitive skills, it is desirable to determine which cognitive skills, and to what extent these cognitive skills, are affected by a particular alternative, and then elect a therapy program which may fit the person's needs best, or elect to intervene in a previously static condition.
One possible method for measuring the efficacy of a therapy program is to monitor potential changes in cognitive skills through cognitive testing. For example, for a person taking a new therapy program, cognitive testing may allow monitoring and potentially useful feedback of either program efficacy or the presence of side affects due to the therapy.
In the past, testing of cognitive skills motivated by therapy programs has been limited to low frequency testing such as manual testing, which usually consists of face-to-face testing in a testing site such as a physician's office, for example. The testing frequency is then governed by the convenience or ability of the person to travel to the testing site. In another costly manner, the person may remain in a hospital for high frequency testing of cognitive skills, but the dramatic costs of inpatient health care may make this alternative prohibitively expensive. For these reasons, cognitive testing frequency was usually limited to one test before treatment inception and one test once again several weeks to months afterwards.
Aside from the traditional face-to-face testing, there are current techniques that use computer implemented methods for cognitive testing. The Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES2) as described by Baker et al. of Atlanta, Georgia is a computer-implemented method for testing cognitive skills on a low frequency basis. The testing is administered at a testing site and testing frequency is again limited by the person's ability to travel to the testing site. Thus, for assessing the effects of a therapy program for example, one disadvantage to the NES method is that practical considerations of administering the test at a testing site do not allow for monitoring the affects of the therapy program on a frequent basis.
Current cognitive testing methods do not facilitate high frequency cognitive skill assessment in the presence of therapy programs. For the case when monitoring of the cognitive skills is required on a daily basis, testing at a testing site is undesirable since it requires an inconvenient amount of travel for the person. In addition, practical considerations may also limit the frequency of testing when the time to travel to the testing center is longer than the testing duration. A further disadvantage of testing cognitive skills at a testing site, for example, for cases of chronic biochemical based therapy (such as asthma medication) is the potential undesirable side effects (i.e. drowsiness) of the therapy, which may affect the person's ability to travel to the testing site.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired improved techniques for administering and monitoring high frequency cognitive testing in a convenient and cost-effective manner.